Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The field of the present invention is healthcare management systems for healthcare enterprises. More specifically, the present invention relates to providing networked software applications for use by healthcare facilities.
2. Background Art
Primary health care is typically provided by health care enterprises. These health care enterprises are, for example, hospitals, clinics, physician groups, or even Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Health care enterprises can be expansive, encompassing hundreds of doctors and many point of care facilities, or can be more modest insize. Indeed, many health care enterprises consist of only a single facility such as a hospital.
However, no matter what the size of the enterprise, all health care enterprises are coming under increased pressure to improve financial performance. With the widespread impact of managed care programs, it is critical that enterprises quickly and accurately understand their financial condition and financial trends. Further, enterprises are striving to increase efficiency while maintaining or improving patient care. For example, if the hospital stay for a particular ailment can be shortened without detriment to the patient, then the hospital can reduce costs without negatively impacting patient care. However, making such a decision requires timely, accurate, and complete information.
Most enterprises have computer systems, and many have established local area networks within their facilities. The established computer systems typically perform a variety of particular and discrete functions. For example, a hospital may have a clinical information system as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/977,522 for managing and presenting patient care management plans. The hospital may have other systems for accounting, insurance, and administrative functions. However, many of these established systems are dated or too inflexible to provide the information required to support health care enterprises in the modern managed care environment in an efficient and economical manner.
Thus, the current computer, network, and application systems used by health care enterprises are incapable of providing sufficient decision support with their existing computer facilities. Therefore, to remain viable, health care enterprises must upgrade their existing computer systems, expand networks, and possibly even re-cable. Further, the enterprise will need to phase-out existing applications as they phase-in new or updated applications. Enterprises also may need to add new applications to collect and track information not currently used.
Such a major project is beyond the financial and technical abilities of most health care enterprises. For example, upgrading computer, network, and application systems can cost millions of US dollars for an enterprise. With health care enterprises having an immediate need to improve financial performance, they are unlikely to make such an enormous expenditure in a timely manner. Thus, the enterprise must quickly improve financial performance, but is unable to expend the resources to provide the necessary information support.
Compounding the problem, health care enterprises typically have a lengthy approval cycle for making such a significant resource commitment. This approval cycle alone could take more than a year. Due to the significant expense the new system might not even be approved, leaving the enterprise uncompetitive and at risk for failure. Even after approval, the new system would have to be purchased, delivered, installed, and tested. Indeed, even if a health care enterprise can make the necessary investment, it could take one to two years, or more, to get a new system operating. During this time the enterprise""s financial condition can continue to degrade, or even worsen to the point of financial failure.
Even for those enterprises willing to make the financial commitment and take the necessary time there is still significant risk. Since every enterprise has a unique mix of computers, networks, and applications, each enterprise also bears the tremendous risk associated with new system installation. In such a manner the new system can either under perform, or end up costing substantially more than expected. Either way, the new system has negatively impacted the financial performance of the enterprise, and as a result, the enterprise could be at risk for financial failure. Thereby there exists a need for a new system that can provide health care enterprises with enhanced decision support information in a cost, effective manner. The new ""system further needs to be quickly and confidently installed without burdensome expense to the enterprise. It is also desirable that existing legacy applications, computers, and networks cooperate with the new system. In such a manner the enterprise preserves prior information technology investments.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new enterprise healthcare management system for providing enhanced decision support information to a health care enterprise in a cost effective manner.
In another separate object of the present invention the new healthcare management system should utilize existing legacy applications already established at health care enterprises.
Briefly, the above and further objects are realized by providing a new enterprise healthcare management system and method of using same. The enterprise healthcare management system and method includes remotely hosting turnkey health care applications and providing enterprise users access to the turnkey applications via a public network such as the Internet.
Advantageously, the new system and method is a turnkey health care management solution. As a turnkey system, it can be quickly implemented with little risk to the enterprise. Further, since the turnkey applications are remotely hosted, the enterprise can use the turnkey applications with minimal capital investment. Thereby, the enterprise can not only upgrade existing capabilities, but add functionality not available with their existing system. For example, since the centralized turnkey system has multidisipline information relating to the enterprise, comprehensive enterprise-wide performance reports can be generated. Indeed, if multiple enterprises are managed, reports indicative of the industry are even possible.
The enterprise also can utilize existing legacy applications, thereby preserving prior IT investments. Since enterprise users access the new system via a public network such as the Internet, only minimal networking capability is needed at the enterprise. In such a manner it is likely the enterprise can also utilize existing computer and network resources.
The new turnkey health care management system also easily adjusts to changes within the enterprise. As the enterprise grows, adds facilities, sells facilities, and changes, the new system easily and cost effectively scales to facilitate the new level of need.